Picasso: Themes and Variations

March 28–August 30, 2010

Featuring approximately 100 works, this exhibition explores Picasso’s creative process through the medium of printmaking, tracing his development from the early years of the 20th century, with depictions of itinerant circus performers in the Blue and Rose periods, to his discovery of Cubism. It follows his evolving artistic vision through decades of experimentation in etching, lithography, and linoleum cut, demonstrating how each technique inspired new directions in his work. The exhibition focuses on specific themes, showing how Picasso’s imagery went through a constant process of metamorphosis. Printmaking, in particular, allows this fundamental aspect of his art to become vividly clear, since various stages in building a composition can be documented. One series of lithographs shows Picasso progressing, step-by-step, from a realistic depiction of a bull to one that is completely abstracted into schematic lines. Other series reveal changing interpretations of the women in Picasso’s life, as they become the subject of his art and a catalytic force behind his creativity.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue written by Deborah Wye and entitled A Picasso Portfolio: Prints from The Museum of Modern Art. In addition, the Museum will launch an interactive online Picasso project featuring some 250 works from MoMA’s collection of over 1,000 prints by the artist.

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